After the healed man informed the Pharisees who healed him, they began to persecute Jesus. This sermon discusses 1) the persecution, 2) Jesus’ claim of divinity, and 3) the Pharisees’ response of intent to kill Jesus for blasphemy. Jesus purposefully healed the man on the Sabbath and told him to walk around carrying a pallet, in order to raise the ire of the Pharisees.

For this reason the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because He was doing these things on the Sabbath. But He answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working.” For this reason therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.